Manufacturer: Pacific Outdoor Equipment - 521 East Peach, Unit 4, Bozeman, Montana 59715 USA
Tel: 406-586-5258 Fax: 406-586-5276
Year of Manufacture: 2006?
URL: http://www.pacoutdoor.com
E-mail: support@pacoutdoor.com.
Listed weight: 18 oz. / 515 g.
Weight as delivered: 17.25 oz / 489 g
MSRP: $15.00 USD
Available Colors: Forest / Royal / Red
 

The Pacific Outdoor Equipment Kid's Mini Chair arrived on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 in a large box which was in good condition. Inside was the Kid's Mini Chair (enclosed in a clear plastic bag) and a packing slip. Attached to the chair was a small, four page pamphlet describing in English and in French the Kid's Mini Chair, warranty information and Pacific Outdoor Equipment's philosophy. Also attached to the chair was one of those little tags that states "under penalty of law this tag not to be removed except by the consumer"; I say "was" because this little tag fell off all by itself when I removed the chair from the bag. The packing list contained all of the standard information on it; however, the return address listed on the packing slip showed a La Mirada, California address and set of phone numbers (office and fax), which are different from the address listed on the website and in the "bill to" section of the packing slip.

Julia was quite exited to get her chair. The color is listed as "sunshine" - bright yellow on the inside and bright orange on the outside - and is not one of the colors listed on the Pacific Outdoor Equipment's website. We both like the color - Julia because she likes orange and yellow, and me because nice, bright oranges and yellows are highly visible and the item therefore is less likely to go missing. We also both think the moose design on the yellow seat back is adorable.

The construction of the chair itself is quite different than I initially imagined it to be. Most mat-type chairs such as this are lacking any type of internal support and are therefore quite floppy. I find them difficult to sit in comfortably. Not so with the Kid's Mini Chair! The chair has an interesting design to it. Instead of the chair being comprised of one solid mat which folds in half lengthwise, it is constructed of three separate mat segments: two 2.5 inch (6.4 cm) wide outer panels, each of which contain one roughly 1" wide internal metal strip which run the length of the chair, and a 6 inch wide (15.2 cm) center panel. Covering the three panels is the yellow and orange outer slipcover. This slipcover is stitched in-between the panels to allow them to flex (see photos below).

There are two sets of straps, one on either side, extending from the top outside edge and the bottom outside edge. The black webbing straps are 1 inch wide (2.5 cm) and have a black push-release buckle. Both the straps and the buckle appear fairly strong and durable. A triangular wedge of the same fabric covering the mat extends down roughly 3 inches (7.6 cm) to cover the attachment point of the straps (see photo below). The straps buckle together when the chair is open, enabling the child to sit in it without the back falling down. Alternatively, the straps can be used to snug the chair when it is closed, keeping it from falling open during transport. Finally, there are two loops of the same black webbing (9" / 23 cm long by 1" /2.5 cm wide) at the top and bottom of the mat to use to carry the mat when folded closed.

Front view of the Kid's Mini Chair showing the moose design, the three panels, the straps and the carrying handles.		Back view of the Kid's Mini Chair showing the Insul Seat logo, the three panels, and the carrying handles.

The "Technology" section of Pacific Outdoor Equipment's website has an excellent description (with graphics) of the features to be found in all of their mats. Unfortunately, nowhere on the site does it state what features the Kid's Mini Chair contains. Based upon the descriptions on the website and my examination of the product, it appears that the Kid's Mini Chair contains the following features (taken from Pacific Outdoor Equipment's website):

• Anti-Fungal Treatment - All of our open-cell foams are treated to prevent fungus and bacteria from growing inside your pad.
  
• DWR Finish - Our durable water-repellent finish helps to protect your mat from wetting out and picking up stains. A true performance enhancing feature.

The chair's shell appears to be comprised of a rugged nylon-looking fabric. The inside portion (yellow) is in two pieces and is open along where the two segments meet at the fold point of the chair. Why? I don't know, unless it is to allow access to the foam mat inside. The outside portion is also comprised of two pieces: an orange, rugged, nylon-looking fabric for the back of the chair and a black bottom portion made of fabric similar to the other two pieces. The bottom of the chair is reinforced with two 2 inch (5 cm) wide black webbing straps that are stitched to the bottom; at the fold point of the chair the straps are reinforced with a 2 inch x 5 inch (5 cm x 10 cm) piece of faux-leather looking vinyl, also stitched to the bottom of the chair, for added durability. The stitching of all seams appears to be good and solid with the exception of the top edge, where the fabric looks to be pulling away from the stitches.

Top left edge of chair showing the fabric pulling away from the stitches.		Bottom of the chair showing the reinforcements.

Test Plan:
I plan on starting Julia out with camping at home - either in her room or in the backyard. We're hoping to go out at least one weekend per month to campgrounds in the San Gabriel & Santa Monica Mountains and, more than likely, Leo Carillo State Beach in Malibu. We're planning on heading up to Oregon to visit the grandparents in September; at this time we're unsure as to where we'll go camping, but it will more than likely be in the Salem area.

Elevations in the local mountain range from 1,000 ft to 8,000 ft (300 - 2500 m); we will probably be in the 2 - 3,000 ft (600 - 900 m) range. Elevations along the coast range from sea level (0 ft / 0 m) to 1,000 ft (300 m), depending upon where the campsite is. Weather in Southern California varies greatly with location and season. In general, daytime temperatures can get up into the 90's (35+ °C) in the summer; nighttime temperatures range from 50 to 70 °F (10 - 21 °C), although recent temperatures have been between 100 - 110 °F (38 - 43°C) in the day and 80 - 90 °F(27 - 35°C) at night. It is not uncommon for these "normal" temperatures to persist well into October and November. Typically, Southern California gets very little rain in the summer, and light to moderate amounts of rain in the fall. Temperatures in the Salem, Oregon area during the Summer and Fall are similar to that in Southern California, although they do get more rain.

Questions we will pose include:

1. Fit & Comfort
   • I've never cared for this particular style of "chair", mainly because it's not very comfortable. Will Julia feel the same way?
   • Will Julia find the padding cushiony, or will she feel every bump on the ground?
2. Wear & Tear / Cleaning
   • The Pacific Outdoor Equipment's website was lacking in details about the fabric. How well will the outer fabric hold up over constant use?
   • How tough is the fabric? Will it abrade upon exposure to dirt/rocks?
   • Will the foam hold up to Julia constantly sitting/lying/jumping/bouncing on it?
   • How easy is it to clean?
   • How durable is it?
3. Miscellaneous
   • How easy will it be for Julia to set up? Will she be able to do it herself, or need help?
   • Is the fabric water proof? Water resistant? Soak up water like a sponge?
   • Will Julia like it enough to use it?
   • Will Benjamin's teething on it cause any damage? Will it survive Julia and be passed on to Ben?